Pastry brushes

Pastry brushes are essential for creating a golden, flaky pie crust. The secret to that picture perfect pie crust is brushing the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar before popping it in the oven. They are a low price gadget that gets great results.

Like many other pie supplies, pastry brushes seem uncomplicated, however once you start looking at all the kinds available, it gets a little overwhelming.

The perfect pastry brush: OXO Silicone Pastry Brush ($6.95)

1. It does not have a wooden handle. The wooden handles tend to not hold up well after a few runs in the dishwasher. The bristles can fall out and the wood can warp due to contact with water. The bristle brushes are also difficult to clean, especially if the liquid is oily or a strong color.

2. The bristles are small. Some other pastry brushes have silicone bristles that are larger than toothpicks, which makes them not flexible enough for delicate pastries.

3. It is not metal which when I use it with a boiling mixture- I don’t have to worry about the handle burning me.

4. Easy to clean- while the bristles are close enough to hold liquid, they are spaced far enough to clean with running water.

Other Alternatives